Coach K: Technical foul ’shameful,’ ’ridiculous’

Sunday

Mar 16, 2014 at 5:09 PM

The Associated Press

GREENSBORO, N.C. — Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski said the technical foul called after he threw a pen at the floor during Sunday’s Atlantic Coast Conference tournament championship game was “absolutely ridiculous” and “shameful.”

The call came during a Duke timeout with 2:07 left in the first half of Sunday’s 72-63 loss to No. 6 Virginia. As the huddle broke, Krzyzewski flung a pen that bounced off the floor and into associate head coach Steve Wojciechowski’s leg.

Official Jamie Luckie whistled for the technical from near midcourt as Krzyzewski had his back turned to the court.

Krzyzewski said after the game he had “no clue” why the technical was called, then was asked about throwing the pen.

“Yeah, but I mean, you can throw a clipboard, too,” Krzyzewski said. “I didn’t do it in reaction to anything. I mean, I could hit my head on the floor. I can do a handstand. I can tumble. As long as it’s not in reaction to anybody.

“There’s no way that there should be a technical foul on that. I mean, it was ridiculous. Absolutely ridiculous. Shameful. Shameful.”

It was one of two technical fouls Sunday for the seventh-ranked Blue Devils. The other was on sophomore guard Rasheed Sulaimon, who thought he was fouled on a hurried 3-pointer with the Blue Devils down 68-60.

Sulaimon screamed at official Tim Nestor near midcourt that the defender had fouled him and used an expletive, leading to the whistle with 39.3 seconds left.

In the locker room after the game, Sulaimon apologized for his behavior.

“I just wanted to win so badly and I kind of let my emotions and let the game get too big for me,” Sulaimon said. “I apologize to my teammates, my coaching staff and to the refs for that blowup.”

Virginia’s Malcolm Brogdon hit 3 of 4 free throws after Sulaimon’s technical, pushing Virginia’s lead to double figures and helping to seal the Cavaliers’ first ACC title since 1976 and only their second overall.